Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Antigua and Barbuda (Ratification: 1983)

Articles 6 and 7 of the Convention. Status and conditions of service and qualifications of labour inspectors. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that the labour inspectorate comprised “non-established” and “established” labour inspectors who were remunerated according to the wage scales in their respective departments. Moreover, according to the Government, there were no requirements as to the qualification and competencies required, notably as far as “non established” labour inspectors were concerned. In this context, the Committee noted the information provided by the Government on a number of proposed activities in the context of a reform of the civil service, including: (i) the establishment of a single system for the recruitment of administrative staff to the civil service; (ii) the recruitment of labour inspectors on the basis of their qualifications and competencies; (iii) the conduct of an audit to identify discrepancies in the amount of wages paid to administrative staff; and (iv) the revision and updating of job descriptions for all civil service positions. Further to its request for information in this regard, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that no changes have occurred in the context of the proposed civil service reform since the submission of its last report. The Government also indicates that labour inspectors did not receive any training in 2014. The Committee requests that the Government provide a copy of the current legislative texts governing the recruitment, status, conditions and service of labour inspectors, including information on their current wage scales compared to public officers exercising similar functions, such as tax inspectors. It also requests the Government to provide information on the progress made with the proposed measures in the context of the abovementioned civil service reform, and the impact of these measures on the conditions and service of labour inspectors. The Committee further requests that the Government provide information on measures taken to provide training to labour inspectors.

Articles 17, 18, 20 and 21. Annual labour inspection reports and the availability of labour inspection statistics, including the number of warnings issued and penalty procedures initiated. The Committee notes that no annual report on the activities of the labour inspection services was received, and that no labour inspection statistics were provided with the Government’s report. In this regard, the Committee recalls that it previously requested that the Government provide statistical information on the number of warnings issued and the number of penalty procedures initiated in relation to the violations detected. In this context, the Committee also recalls that it previously noted with interest the implementation of a Labour Market Information System, which according to the Government, would facilitate the timely establishment of annual labour inspection reports. The Committee requests that the Government take measures to ensure that annual labour inspection reports are regularly published and communicated to the ILO (Articles 20 and 21 of the Convention), and to provide information on the measures taken to this effect (including the progress made with the implementation of the abovementioned Labour Market Information System). It requests that the Government in any event provide statistical information that is as detailed as possible on the activities of the labour inspection services (industrial and commercial places liable to inspection, number of inspections, infringements detected and the legal provisions to which they relate, warnings issued, penalty procedures initiated and penalties applied, number of occupational accidents and diseases, etc.).